But, You Promised
by abbeyabbey
Summary: Natsu makes a promise to Lucy as a child, but will he remember it? NaLu. Starting off as kids. Rated T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**But, You Promised.**  
**by abbeyabbey.**

Tossing the makeshift paper ball, Jude Heartfilia missed the bin for the third time that hour. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he cussed in frustration as he slammed his fountain pen down on the table. He ignored the tremor that ran through his mahogany desk from the force of his frustration, as the hands of his desk clock shook and a wooden, chipped photo frame fell flat on its face.

Asking for help shouldn't be that difficult. It was simple, _really_. There were bad people trying to steal his fortune, and he needed help to ensure his money stayed where it was supposed to be. _In his hands. _

Then why was it that every time he tried to write a letter for help, he tore it, scrunched it, or even on one account scribbled over his words like a child, learning to use crayons. If he wasn't too stubborn to admit it, then he might consider that it was his pride that was getting in the way.

_No, that's not it. I'm just a humble family man. _

Opening the second drawer from the top, he pulled out more blank paper with the "Heartfilia" letterhead. He avoided using this paper for business communications, but this plea was more personal. His family's safety was in jeopardy.

Putting his pride aside for the moment, he picked up his worn out pen and scribbled the words down as they poured out of his head. If he were to get any help, then he would have to have to admit that he couldn't do this alone. And if he couldn't do it alone, then he would ask for the assistance of the most powerful people he knew of.

As he finished the description of the task he needed help with, the door creaked loudly. Slowly opening the heavy door and flooding light into the room, a small figure poked her head in from the other side, peeking into the room with wide brown eyes, framed with thick black eyelashes.

When she sensed it was safe to enter, Lucy Heartfilia bounded into the room.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" exclaimed Lucy as she skipped up to his desk. "You'll never guess what I just made!"

Jude looked at the messy mop of blonde hair, while the girl rested her elbows on the other side of the desk. He knew she had been in the gardens due to the brown stains on her light pink dress, and her flushed cheeks gave away her excitement of running around outside in the cold. Slowly running his eyes back to the door he saw a trail of dirt lead up to his desk.

Ignoring the smile on her face and her excited eyes, he pursed his lips and began his lecture.

"Lucy Heartfilia," he began, "how many times do I have to tell you, that a ladies place is not outside in the dirt!"

"But," Lucy tried to interrupt. Her eyes fell to the floor and the smile was nowhere to be seen.

"You're a Heartfilia! An upstanding member of the community. Not a servant girl!" he scoffed, pushing his pen and paper to the side of the desk. If he was going to get through to the child, then he would have to use some scare tactics. Many years in business had given him plenty to choose from.

"Dad, I…" she tried to interject again. Her attempts were useless though, as she knew her father would not let her speak until he got his point across. Past lectures had prepared her for this reaction, but when she heard the servants whispering amongst themselves about how stressed he was lately, she had only wanted to cheer him up. To see him smile again.

"And at 12 years old, I thought you would be better than this!" he spat, slamming his fist on the desk for emphasis. He heard her intake of breath at the shock of what he just said, but decided to finish up strong. "You should be studying business or practicing the piano – not gallivanting around the dirt with the servants."

Lucy stared at the navy carpet, and let the tear slide down her cheek to the floor. Never in her life had she heard him voice his disappointment in her. Sure, he had told her to go away and leave him alone, but never insult her. The girl remained silent, still too fearful to speak.

"Now I want you out of my office, and doing something useful for once. If I hear even a whisper of you getting dirty like this again," gesturing to the length of her body with his hand, "then you will be sorry."

Looking up from the carpet, Lucy saw the anger on his face. She had never intended to disappoint him. She just wanted him to be happy. The last time she recalled his smile was when her mother was alive – a whole six months ago. Whenever he became too preoccupied with his business, her mother would stand up to him, sometimes even pointing her finger as she said her piece. Lucy remembered her mother demanding that he took some time off and spent time with his family. The very next day, they were on the train to spend a week together at the snow. It was the happiest week of Lucy's life.

Back then he didn't care that she was covered in snow. He only laughed when she complained about her soaked shoes and dirty dress. He didn't spend hours hunched over his desk all day, but sat in front of the fire with her and made puzzles. Her mother was always there, lying on the lounge with pen and paper, writing about their daily adventures.

"I don't know why you bother writing it all down, dear," he had said to her one night. "Just live it up and keep in all in here!" Tapping on the side of his head for added emphasis, her mother burst out laughing. Her voice was soft and sweet when she spoke – a true contrast to his deep, rough voice.

"Well that's all well and good. But maybe one day I'll want to let others remember our adventures, Jude" she replied, gesturing her head in Lucy's direction. The girl was completely oblivious to her allusion though, still trying to squash two odd pieces of the puzzle together. She only looked up to her mother when she felt a large, rough hand mess up her hair.

"Dad, ahh! Get off!" she pleaded, as her father pulled at her piggy tails and wrestled with her on the ground. "I'm not your son!"

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stopped the match and sat her on his lap, looking deep into her brown eyes.

"And nothing, could make me more happy than that fact, my princess" he stated, before messing up her hair once more. Lucy remembered giggling along with her laughing mother and father at the state she was left in. Losing her two hairbands in the wrestling match, Lucy wore her messy hair out as proof that her father loved her more than anything.

Now as Lucy stared back in his eyes, she didn't see the loving smile or gentle eyes. She only saw the ghost of the man she knew, now consumed by his business and making it to the top.

Maybe it was the memories of her mother that did it. Maybe it was the sadness morphing into frustration throughout her veins. Whatever it was, Lucy wouldn't have done it if she stopped and thought about the consequences of her actions.

Shuffling her feet to a wider stance, Lucy glared up at her father. Anger welled up inside as she thought about how things used to be, before her mother passed away. She brought her finger from her side, and pointed it at his face. Tears continued to well up in her eyes as she faced it off with the Head of the Heartfilia Railway Corporation. If her mother could do it, then why couldn't she?

"You listen to me!" she demanded, taking a deep breath to prepare for her lecture. She had heard enough in the past six months, so she was sure to know how they went.

"I only came up here to tell you that I made you some sushi! Your favourite meal to help you feel better, when I heard that you were having a bad time!"

Her father stared back at her, his anger turning to shock at the actions of his daughter.

"And you have the audacity to lecture me? When I was being nice!" she continued, her finger still pointing like a bullseye to his nose. "I only went to the garden in the first place for some herbs and I just so happen to fall over! It was funny! The servants and I laughed! And frankly, the last time I remember you ever laughing was with mum!"

His eyes narrowed again at the turn of the conversation, fearing that she would try and bring his lost love into the argument as a guilt trip.

"Now I don't know what's wrong with you, but maybe you should remember Mums advice and stop taking things so seriously! Forget the business! Spend some time with me! You're all I have, dad!" Tears fell to the floor like a flood, as she finished her speech. Lowering her hand back to her side, she dared to look once more at the man she used to know.

Covering his mouth, he stared back at her. Obviously not finding her words meaningful at all, he lowered his hands to the desk and brought his pen and paper back to the primary work zone of his desk. Looking down at his paper, he scribbled down words for a few moments, before lifting his eyes back to her and voicing his final order.

"Get out."

Hurt by his words and actions, Lucy turned away from her father and followed the trail of dirt out of the room.

_Perhaps I'm not a humble family man. _

* * *

AN: Hey guys! If you're reading this then that means you've gotten to the end of the first chapter of my new story! Congratulations! *throws confetti at you*

Thank-you so much for reading and supporting my work. It really means a lot to me. This story will have a few chapters (but don't expect a super long novel). It's a NALU shipping of course but may take a few chapters for that to occur. This chapter was meant to be the start of a cute story but turned out a lot more darker than I originally intended – but oh well! Dark is good too!

I hope you plan to stick around to find out more – cause I sure am! I will try to get chapters out fast but I'm on holidays and will be pretty busy for the next week, so I only have time at night to sit up and write. Thanks again! *goes back to typing my heart out*


	2. Chapter 2

**_Mr Jude Heartfilia, Owner/Head of the Heartfilia Railway Corporation humbly requests the assistance of any mage able to help. Three men have attempted to break into my home, and I fear they may try it again. Their aim, I presume, is to steal from my large fortune located in the house. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please send your strongest mages. A reward of 250 000 jewel is offered if the three men are captured. Sincerely - Heartfilia, J. _**

The servant looked down at his masters' desperate handwriting before stuffing it into a plain envelope. He packed his bag for the days journey, preparing to leave on the first train in order to get to the mages guild as early as possible. Lifting his bag to his shoulder, the conversation from the night before came to the forefront of his mind.

_ "David, I must ask you a favour" pleaded the blonde man from behind his large desk._

_"Yes sir, anything you ask" replied the servant. He was usually only summoned into his office with a group of servants, never alone. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't afraid of what was to come. After all, he spent most of his time in the garden, looking after the vast array of vegetables, flower beds and trees. Being confined in the dark office with his master staring down at him was the last thing he would ask for. _

_"I need you to take this," he stated, holding the folded piece of paper out in front of him, "to the Fairy Tail guild of Magnolia. I hear they have the strongest mages and only the best will do for the job I have prepared for them."_

_"Of course, sir" the servant agreed. If he left on the first train he could make it to the guild by noon, and return back by nightfall. He would have to instruct some of the other servants to look after Lucy, as she dearly loved to laugh, and he was afraid she might be secluded if he didn't remind the other servants of her. _

_As if reading his mind, Jude interrupted his thoughts and asked._

_"Were you in the gardens with Lucy yesterday?"_

_"Yes, sir. I was." He thought about her actions earlier that day, and had to hold back the laughter at the thought of her going face first in the dirt, all because she couldn't slow down and walk for once in her life. Such a ball of energy she was. _

_"Make sure she isn't in the gardens again. She doesn't belong there!" instructed the serious man. With a nod of his head, he signalled that David was free to go._

_David bowed slightly, stumbling over his words as he told the man that he understood, before ducking out of his office and back to his quarters._

_He conversed late into the night with the other servants, reminding them all of their masters orders. Lucy was not to be in the gardens at all. Everyone seemed sad at the thought, for they loved to joke around with the girl. Although they were significantly older, they felt as if Lucy was closer to them then any other member of the Heartfilia family, even before her mother passed away. _

_Poor Lucy. Would she ever get the friends she deserved?_

* * *

Sneezing to free the dust from her nostrils, Lucy dropped the heavy book onto the floor. She had been in the library for hours on her own, actually enjoying her own company for once. Usually she annoyed the servants and followed them around for the day, finding their lives more interesting than her own. Today however, she was on a mission to find out more about a particular type of person.

_A mage._

Opening the thick cover of another book, her finger trailed down the list of contents before spotting her prize.

_"Mages: Various Types"_

Considering that the book was fifty years old itself, Lucy carefully turned the pages until she reached the page number she desired. She had never read such big words before. Most of the books she enjoyed were story books full of fairy tails and adventure. The book she was currently reading however, would have been what her mother called an "academic" book. _Blah._ This genre was certainly the most boring she had ever read in all her 12 years of life.

She wouldn't even be in the library researching if it wasn't for the conversation she overheard the night before. Being tall, lanky and flat definitely had its advantages. She could sneak throughout passages in the mansion quietly at night, and fit through the thinnest of gaps, to eventually listen to conversations of the servants. This was especially useful when she wanted to feel as if she was spending time with people, without actually annoying them with her presence.

To begin with, they were speaking about the same old drabble. David (one of her favourite servants) had to go to a place called Magnolia and fetch the most powerful mages he could find. What was a mage? She had absolutely no idea. Apparently though, as the conversation continued, they were going to relieve her father of his stress.

_That's so amazing!_ She thought to herself. There were actually people out there who could make her father feel better? And if he felt better, maybe things would go back to the way they were… The laughing, the smiling, the playful wrestling… She wanted that back. Not the grumpy, domineering man who sent her out of his office. Thinking back to their holiday in the snow, Lucy made a decision. She needed to be a mage!

Her excitement was short lived though, as David suddenly spoke up.

"Well, I better go and check up on Lucy and make sure she is in bed," he mused out loud. Turning to glance over his shoulder, the girl could of swore that he looked through the crack beside the cupboard and stared straight into her eyes.

Supressing a squeak of surprise, she backed out of her hiding hole, getting on her knees to crawl through the tunnel lined with cement. Finally getting to the grate, she held her breath to see if she could hear anyone in the hallway. When she was sure that it was clear, she pushed the grate out of the wall, crawled onto the soft carpet of the hallway, replaced the grate and ran off to her room.

Moments after she buried herself under her sheets, David knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she summoned, trying to make her voice sound tired.

David hid his surprise, as always, and made his way over to the girls side. He had made a point to say goodnight to her ever since her mother died, as her own father only went from his office to his bedroom. Sometimes, David thought that the girl may as well be considered an orphan. A girl so young and full of life should always have a caring and loving family, even if it wasn't biological.

Whispering quietly to each other, they spoke about the days adventures. They laughed ad gossiped about the kitchen staff, and winged about the cleaning staff being so uptight. Eventually, he brought up the memory of Lucy falling face first into the dirt. She laughed for a moment, but he could tell it was strained. Bidding her goodnight, he silently crept out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Lucy cried herself to sleep that night. David was nice and all, but he couldn't of really seen her as a friend. She was just a child, after all. A child about to enter her teenager years, with no friends to enjoy them with. The tears stained her pillow and made it even harder to sleep.

_All she wanted was a friend._

Lucy shoved those thoughts to the back of her head. She didn't have time to think about the night before. She had to find out about these 'mage' people, and what made them so special. If they could make her father happier than sushi (though she wondered if he even enjoyed that anymore), then she had to know how to be like them.

"Elemental mages," she spoke aloud to herself, "are able to use the elements to their advantage by bending, producing and controlling them. Some include water, ice, wind and earth".

Mages? They were… like wizards? No, no, no. They're fictional! Not real. This book is gibberish.

Lucy threw the book to the side, screaming in frustration. Her father was getting fictional people to help him? Did he realise how much that hurt! He might as well said "Oh Lucy, you are so useless to me that I would have sushi made by the tooth fairy, over you, any day".

Although her body was currently fuelled by anger, she looked back at the book. The corner caught her attention, as she could of sworn she saw something reflect back at her. Crawling over to where it lay, she picked the thick, heavy book of lies back up, only to drop it again. Underneath it was a key. It was silver, and had a funny handle, but it was a key none the less. The end was too big to fit in any doors, but she still picked it up, slowly running her fingers over the dusty relic.

Turning back to the book, she turned it over the proper way. A picture of a key similar to the one in her hand was on the page, with the caption "Celestial Spirit Key".

_What?_

Reading aloud again, she scanned down the page.

"The mage who shall find these keys will hold the power to release spirits from the Spirit Realm. However, they must believe in the power of the key for it to work, and not use spirits for their own personal gain."

Suddenly, the door opened, and she looked up to the hard eyes of her father. Hiding the key behind her back, she nodded her acknowledgement to his existence.

"Lucy," he greeted her gruffly before continuing on, "I will have some people arriving in the following days, and you are not to go near them. Do not look at them, approach them, speak to them, and heavens, don't you dare embarrass yourself in front of them with one of your garden stunts!"

Lucy huffed, annoyed with the rules her father was imposing on her. If there were real life mages in the house within the next few days, she had to see them. She wanted to learn more about them, and find out what they could do to help her father. Lucy also wanted to know more about herself, because she was a mage too – well, according to a super old, dusty book. But hey, she had found a 'celestial spirit key'. It was in a book, but it still counted, right?

Her father had shut the door and left while she was lost in her thoughts.

She decided, that for the next few days, she would wait to meet the mages.

* * *

In the library, alone once more, Lucy waved the key in the air.

"COME ON OUT SPIRITSY!" she shouted, waving the key around her head.

Nothing happen.

"I said, JOIN ME IN THE HUMAN WORLD!" Waving the key once more, she waited for something to happen.

Once again, nothing happen.

"Idiot key," she cursed, throwing it at the closed door, "idiot mages, idiot fictional ideas!"

She had been in the library for the past two days, reading up on Celestial Spirit Mages. She was surprised that their library held so much information, considering that her father had told her that mages were all just part of fairy tales. Obviously someone in the family had been interested in the fictional characters to order so many books about them, but she didn't think about it any further. Her only aim was to get the damn spirit to appear.

Suddenly she heard footsteps and soft voices from the hallway. Putting her sneaking skills to the test, she slowly crawled over the door, opening it so it was slightly ajar.

She saw nothing.

_CRASH!_

"You hot head!" a voice scolded, "Try not to tear the place apart!"

"Shut up pervert," another voice retorted, "if you weren't such an idiot, you would see that it was your stink that made it break!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" the first voice yelled. "I'll destroy you!"  
"Bring it!"

"Fine!"

"Boys!" a new voice boomed. Lucy guessed from the higher tone that it was a girl. "We are here representing the mages of Fairy Tail, and you will do well to remember it. Now silence yourselves as we find our client."

One of the other voices snorted, complaining about the woman telling them that the client was inside. She did realise how big the house was, didn't she?

Lucy could only hold her hand in front of her mouth, hoping they didn't hear her squeak.

They were mages? _Real life mages?_

As she watched a head of red, dark blue and pink flash past the gap in the door, she decided she had to know more, and she was more than happy to disobey her father.

* * *

**AN:** You made it to the end of another chapter! Thank-you, thank-you!

Before you leave, I want you to know that I'm sorry these last two chapters have been so dry, but I wanted a bit of background before I threw in Natsu and the others. But they're here now! YIPPEEEEEE! I have the plan written out for the next chapter, so it should be out in the next few days.  
Oh, and spoiler here: If you're scared that they're going to be kids the entire story, don't worry. That will change in a few chapters. :)

Thanks again and happy reading!


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me!" Lucy interrupted as she reefed the door open. All three of the strangers immediately turned around, allowing her to study their faces for the first time.

The girl leading the mismatched group appeared to be a year or two older than Lucy, with scarlet red hair reaching down to her waist in a plait. There was no denying that she was a true beauty, but there was also something to fear about her. Her violet eyes seemed as hard as rocks, reflecting the idea that she had not seen much joy in her life. Simply looking at her was almost enough to convince Lucy that these were indeed, the strongest mages in the land. But their appearance as children was quick to squash that belief.

The boy in the centre also had a strange, yet serious look about him. His eyes were a dark blue, almost black – much like his hair. Much to her embarrassment, Lucy noticed that he only wore a pair of dark pants. If her father had a hissy fit at her dirty dress, he was sure to have an aneurism when this boy strolled into the office. Quickly looking back to his face to avoid the first impression of a "perve", she noticed him staring at her intently. _What is his problem?_ she idly wondered to herself. A brief staring match later with the dark haired boy, and she had moved on to observe the last member of the group.

Any fear that the three children were all serious grouches was washed away when she met the eyes of the…. _Young, pink haired boy?_ Unlike the others, his eyes appeared soft and playful. His smile only further reinforced her thoughts, at it spread across most his face and showed off his particularly sharp canines. Lucy couldn't fight the smile as it appeared on her own face, making it no secret that she was thoroughly examining the boy. Looking to his feet, she supressed her laugh. His long, white scarf draped to the floor beside his dirty toes, encased in black sandals. Looking back up to see how long it was, she realised that it was already wrapped several times around his neck. The effect of the oversized piece of clothing only made him appear miniscule in comparison to the other two individuals, but she doubted she would ever say it to his face. With one arm scratching the back of his neck, he came across cheekier then the others. This only made Lucy want to know more about him, for she dearly loved to laugh and this boy seemed like someone she could have fun with. Maybe he would be her first real friend?

Finally remembering her manners, Lucy bowed her head in a low curtsey. It was obvious the three 'mages' were not brought up in high society from the puzzled expressions she met when she lifted her head once more to meet their eyes.

"Welcome to the Heartfilia mansion, my name is Lucy. Can I offer you assistance?" She rattled off the welcome like a well rehearsed verse. She had heard the servants say something like that whenever strangers appeared, as she played at the entrance of the house. Deciding that these three children were the strangest she had ever met, the greeting was more than fitting.

The boy with the dark blue hair crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, obviously not impressed that they ran into her. The other boy, the nice one, blushed before awkwardly putting one arm behind his back and bowing to her. She couldn't hold back the giggle, but was forced to silence her laughter when she met the eyes of the intense female. As before, she was fixated on Lucy's face. As Lucy was too scared to break the stare, she did not notice that the red haired girl was slowly pushing her sword back into its sheath.

"Yes, that would be great," the girl replied with a soft smile, "My name is Erza, this is Grey' gesturing to the boy with his arms crossed, "and finally, Natsu." The boy she now knew as Natsu crossed his arms in an attempt to appear as tough as Grey – although it didn't really have the same effect when he had a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Are you actually mages? Like, wizards?" Lucy spluttered out without thinking. Blush took over her face once more when she realised how forward she was being with these acquaintances of 5 seconds.

Grey only huffed as he looked out the window_. Jerk._ Erza quickly looked to the ground, scrunching her eyebrow, as if she was trying to think of a response. Natsu however, was very forward. Even as forward to take a step towards her and point at her face.  
"You're looking at Salamander, the strongest mage of all time!" he declared. Micro seconds later, he was flat on the floor with a throbbing, red welt on his head.

This time, Lucy did notice Erza sliding her sword into her sheath. _Okay, don't mess with that girl_. Thinking of all the possible ways the red haired girl could potentially hurt her, Lucy hid her shaking hands as Erza cleared her throat to speak.

"Yes, we are mages of Fairy Tail. I was hoping you could take us to a J. Heartfilia."

"Oh yeah," Lucy sighed. "He's in his office… Next floor up, third door to the right…"

Of course they would have a job to do. That's why they were here in the first place. Any thoughts of actually getting to know these mages and their powers would have to be squashed.

From the floor, Lucy noticed Natsu slowly pick his face off the carpet, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Um, Luce was it? Can you please take us there?" Lucy held her breath when he addressed her. Luce? It was Lucy. Could he really have forgotten already? Well, she certainly wasn't going to correct him. Even if he did get her name wrong, she could at least pretend it was a nickname so she _felt _like she had a friend. "I bored from all this walking around…"

Exhaling and forcing a smile, she agreed to take them to her fathers office.

"Will you be here long?" she pried, as she led them up the stairs to her father wooden door. Unwillingly, she had begun cracking her knuckles. Her mother always told her that it was bad for her hands, but it was a simple reflex to the fear she had always felt when walking towards her fathers office. She had learnt long ago to never enter it without being summoned first, and the only time she was summoned there was if she was in deep trouble. Hopefully the three mages could leave it without being as traumatised as herself.

"We suspect the job may take a few weeks, but we will stay as long as deemed necessary" Erza replied seriously. Lucy thought about pleading for them to stay longer, but didn't want to come across as the needy, clingy spoilt rich girl. If she was going to be there friends, she had to act confident, like them.

Noticing that that had made it to her fathers office, she gestured to the door with her head. The last thing she wanted was her father hearing her voice, knowing that she had met the people he ordered her to stay away from. Politely bowing once more, she began to walk away.

"Hey, where you going?" came the boy's voice. Lucy turned around to see Natsu staring at her, confusion etched on his innocent face. Lucy lifted her finger to her mouth as a sign to be quiet, before turning her back on him and racing to get away from the hallway she had learned to fear.

* * *

Hiding in the library once more, the blonde girl opened the curtains from the window and scanned the wall blocking the flower gardens from the forest. She had been watching the three mages for the past week, finding a window on each side of the house to spy on them. She was grateful that no one had questioned her on her stalking habits, except her father on one occasion. He had left his office to get lunch, only to spot Lucy. Lucky for her, he was happy with her excuse and let her be. _I just thought the servants were slacking off, so I am spying on them to make sure they're doing what they get paid for._

To the west were the vegetable gardens, which had a path leading to the mansions kitchen. Lucy had spied Erza there everyday since meeting them in the hall, and decided that she was the most boring of the three to watch. Nine times out of ten, she could be seen pacing through the vegetable patches with her sword at her side, like a soldier on constant watch. The other times she would be seen sitting with a man on the wooden bench, eating cake while in deep discussion with him. The man would have to be David - after all, he was the only one of the servants Lucy could think of that would take the time to talk to talk to a twelve year old.

To the east, was the lake. When Lucy had first spied out of the window, she though that no one was standing guard. As if on queue however, the dark hair boy broke through the surface of the water and began swimming laps. Every time she watched him, he was without a shirt. Sometimes he swam, other times he did stretches and pretended to fight an invisible opponent, and least frequently, he was leaning up against the tree snoozing. Lucy didn't enjoy watching the boy, mostly because she didn't want to feel like a pervert. Also, she didn't like how he acted when they first met. His company didn't make her feel comfortable at all.

To the north, through the window in the library was Lucy's favourite view of the flower garden. Looking through this window was her preferred activity, and had taken up most of her days. It surely would of taken up her nights as well if she could actually see the pink haired boy. She had watched a few nights, certain she had seen flames through the darkness, only to go to bed dismissing them as a delusion.

Perching on top of a pile of library books, she waited in anticipation to see him. Most days he was seen just strolling through the flower garden, and on one occasion she had seen him on the other side of the wall, in the forest climbing trees. Today however, he was no where to be seen. _He must of left for a few moments. _An hour passed and he was still nowhere to be seen. Stamping her foot in frustration, the carefully balanced books fell, taking Lucy with them.

"AHHH!"

Scrunching her face in pain, Lucy rolled around on the floor, howling to the high heavens. After a while, the intense pain that shot through her tailbone turned into a dull throbbing. Ignoring the pain in her butt, she pushed her hands against the cold floor and slowly got up, dusting off her yellow dress. Checking over her shoulder to make sure no one saw her fall, she saw the books she had been reading when she first heard the 'mages' in the hallway. Next to it, sat a silver key, now covered in dust.

Not taking any time to think through her decision, she pocketed the silver key and ran out of the library and down the stairs, intent on searching the gardens for Natsu.

* * *

After walking around the gardens for twenty minutes, and not finding any sign of the boy, Lucy was frustrated. She was only trying to be nice and make sure he wasn't dead. But what if he was dead? Was it any of her business? Who did she tell? Her father, or Erza? The thought of either of them was terrifying to her. Her father would probably not speak to her for a decade, where Erza might finally get to use her sword to cut off her head!

_I don't want to be hung on her wall as some trophy!_

Instead of declaring the Natsu boy dead, she decided to walk around the wall one more time, just to make sure. If she didn't find him within the next five minutes, then she would rethink the 'declaration of his death' plan.

Trying to get her mind of such a grim topic, Lucy started at the back wall and walked alongside the hedges. The sun was bright and felt warm on her face, which Lucy decided, was a nice change to the mouldy musk she had put herself through in the library all week. Although she spent the week by herself, she hadn't spent any time practicing with her key. She still hadn't opened the gate to the spirit world (which according to the book, was a necessity for all celestial spirit mages) and she still hadn't found out any further information about the three mages guarding her house – or why they were even doing it! She tried to ask David one night when he tucked her into bed, but he just told her to not worry about them and carry on enjoying herself.

_Yeah, right. _

Caught up in her own mind, Lucy didn't notice the stray foot sticking out of the hedges in front of her. As she thought once more about how to break the news of Natsu's death, her foot caught onto something, and for the second time that day, Lucy fell to the ground.

"AHHHH!"

Regaining her composure, the girl looked at her hands. Dirty, scratched and bleeding. Hip hip hooray. Turning around to see the source of her fall, she saw nothing. The noise of something rustling in the shrub caught her attention, before a sleepy looking pink haired boy burst out.

"Who goes th– AHHH!"

Much like Lucy, the boys feet got caught up in the others limbs, causing him to come crashing down on top of her. After forcing all the air out of her lungs, the boy rolled off her back and looked across to meet her eyes.

"Oh Luce! It's just you!" he grinned, dirt covering half of his face.

Angry and humiliated at her current condition, Lucy saw red. She got onto her scratched knees, ignoring the sting of her cuts on the dirt and made sure she was facing the cause of her problems. Dramatically, she grabbed his shoulders, and took in one deep breath, glaring into his eyes once more.

* * *

AN: Hey hey! Thanks for waiting so patiently for this chapter. Sorry it's so poo poo. I'm in the middle of moving so writing has gone back in the priorities, but as I was lying in bed I got a whiff of inspiration and slammed out this chapter for you.

Whats next? A kiss? A beating? Insults till the sun don't shine? Just wait and see!


	4. Chapter 4

"You idiot! How could you be so stupid?! I could of broken my arm, my leg, my spine, anything! All because you want to hide in bushes and trip people over for fun!"

Natsu eyed her with surprise, unable to speak. Immediately, the girl began lashing out at him, hitting his chest, arms and head with all her force – which to be honest, didn't hurt him at all. The girl had the strength of a puppy.

He let her continue to get out her anger out, while he looked over her face once more. Blonde hair, brown eyes, sweet face. It had to be Lucy. But wasn't she the awkward, polite girl who helped them out the other day? Since when did she become a violent, angry, killing machine? The client never told them anything about this. All he told them was to guard the house from three bad guys. The servants would give them food, but they had to stay on guard 24/7. But what was it that he said about Lucy? There was something. He was sure it was important… Finally, after a fist to his nose, he remembered…

_…. Stay away from her._

Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrists during her next poorly execute punch, and held them above her head. He really didn't want to hurt her, or be mean to her. After all, she was the one who helped them first. But the client's orders were orders, and he didn't want him or Erza to find out that he had been disobeying them. She was still exerting her strength against him, but his arms never buckled. Forcing his face into one of the grumpy expressions he's seen Grey use countless times, he growled.

"You need to stay away from me."

Her arms immediately slackened. He could see her eyes so much clearer now that they weren't scrunched up in anger. They didn't make his stomach feel at ease though, as it was pierced with the guilt of hurting such a pretty girl.

"Excuse me?" she retorted, applying pressure on his arms once more. He really didn't understand her. She had to know there was no way she would win against him, yet she refused to give up and just do what he ordered her to. _Stubborn girl._

"I said, you need to stay away" he snarled, pushing her arms further back. For a fleeting moment, he saw the shock on her face when she realised that he was a lot stronger then her. However, it was replaced quickly with a pout and a huff.

"But I came out here looking for you" she whispered bitterly, looking down at the ground.

Looking for him? Why on earth would she be looking for him?

"Just leave!" he demanded, as he let go of her arms. Trying his best to appear scary, he glared at her, waiting for their eyes to meet again. She ignored him for a while, crossing her arms over her stomach and biting her lower lip. When she looked up at him again, Natsu knew her decision before she even said it.

"No."

Frustrated, Natsu curled up his fist and punched it into the ground. This left Lucy feeling a little scared, but she was still too damn stubborn to admit it.

"Fine. I'll leave."

With that, Natsu got onto his feet and turned away from her. Doing his best to ignore her, he brushed the dust off his now brown scarf and marched towards the end of the garden. Behind him, he heard her footsteps follow, like a ghost who couldn't take a hint. Looking over his shoulder, he gave his best evil eye to see if it was her following him. His suspicions were confirmed as his eyes met her, equally evil as they tried roast him alive. This battle with the girl was easily becoming one of the toughest he had fought. Physically, she was a piece of cake. Mentally, _heck, _she was going to be the end of him.

Doing his best to take part in her psychological warfare, Natsu kept walking round and round the gardens, ignoring the girl who followed his every step.

_She'll get bored and go away. Yeah, it's just a matter of time._

* * *

Lucy crossed her arms across her chest and shivered. It was now night time and she could barely see anything. All she had to go off were the sounds of his footsteps and the outline of his figure, which she could just make out thanks to the moonlight. Ignoring the pain in her calves, she kept walking forward. She hadn't followed the boy for hours only to give up now. Surely he had to stop sometime.

Another hour ticked by, and the winds became harsher on her bare shoulders. She couldn't feel her legs anymore and her cheeks were red raw from the cold. Even her nose stung to touch.

Obviously, she had to give up. Her stomach was grumbling and she felt as if her legs would give out at any moment. She could see it now. The boy didn't care about her. Clearly, he wouldn't make a very good friend. Dreams dashed and hope lost, she stopped walking, and let her legs give in to the weight of her body.

* * *

For the past ten minutes, Natsu had been using the darkness to his advantage, sneaking looks over his shoulders to see if the huffy blonde was still faithfully following behind. Having increased senses definitely had its perks, for he could both see and hear her perfectly in the darkness. He could also smell her, but that wasn't proving useful at all – just very distracting.

Lucy had been following him for hours, and he knew she must be getting cold. He could hear her teeth chatter every now and then, followed, yet again, by a determined huff. _What was up with that?_ Perhaps he should just stop and talk to her. After all, it was night time, so no one would _see _them interacting. If anyone found out he could just pretend he found her outside and was telling her to go home… There's no harm in that, right?

Breaking out of his thoughts, Natsu realised that the huffing had stopped. Wait, why had all the noises stopped? There was no crunch of the gravel beneath her shoes or teeth chattering or…

The boys eyes widened in horror as his brain realised what was happening. Muscle memory took over and he was beside her, capturing her in his arms before she hit the ground.

* * *

Igneel had taught Natsu that girls were delicate creatures. They needed to be cared for and protected. They enjoyed hugs for no apparent reason and kisses on the forehead to make them feel special. He was never to hit a girl, because that's not what a gentleman would do.

Unfortunately a few years later, Natsu met Erza, and those life lessons went out the window. Girls were terrifying, fearsome creatures that should never be crossed. They would use you, tease you, and beat you without a moments warning. At least that's what Natsu thought, as he dragged the blonde across the gravel by her arm. He would of carried her, but she was a girl – tough as nails. She could handle it.

When he reached the small clearing in the shrubs he had called home the past few nights, he let her arms fall to the ground. Now, he had absolutely no idea what to do with her.

"Oi," he said as he poked the side of her head, "are you alright?"

Slowly but surely, dark eyes were revealed as she woke up.

"What the?" she mumbled, looking down at her dress to see it dirty and torn.

Natsu could do nothing as he sat there watching the blonde girl. She slowly got up from the ground, arms shaking from fatigue, but still determined to move on. Confusion took over her face, as she looked around at the shrubs, then back to the cause of her stubbornness. Natsu didn't mind though. He simply sat himself on the ground and stared at her, waiting for her to react with screams and punches or something.

"Where are we and… and why does my body hurt all over?" she questioned, flinching at the pain she discovered when she touched her waist. Looking down at her dress, she could see that she had obviously been dragged here. Why he wanted anything to do with her was beyond her comprehension, however, so she let her anger slide to confusion.

"You fell so I brought you here…" he replied, covering his mouth as he yawned. "It's night time so no one should see us talking. We'll just have to watch out for Erza."

"The red head?" Lucy pried, forgetting all about her injuries, "Oh don't worry. I've been watching her the past few days and she doesn't leave the vegetable gardens. She's probably eating cake with the servants by now."

"What?! You mean she gets cake and I- Wait what? Watching her?" Natsu eyed the girl with nervousness. He suddenly didn't feel very safe next to her. If she had been watching Erza does that mean she had been watching him? Did she see him use his magic when he was ordered against it? He was, after all, only to use it if the thieves they were paid to dispose of appeared. However, the days proved to be long and uneventful, and by the time nightfall came, he was dying to use some energy so he could actually sleep at night. That led him to practicing his magic by shooting fire into the air and watching it disappear into nothingness. He thought his spot in the forest was safe from the eyes of everyone, but Lucy the spy could prove to be his downfall.

Lucy watched his expression carefully while she thought of how to reply to his accusations.

"Well, I- Uh- I just wanted to know more about you."

"Why?"

Surely, the boy couldn't be that dense. Surely, he had to know that mages didn't just waltz into the Heartfilia estate everyday.

"Because you're a mage!"

"Huh? Oh that," he replied, running his fingers through his coarse hair in embarrassment. "Its not that unbelievable… Magic is all about heart, so I guess anyone could do it if they really believed in it."

"What kind of magic do you use?" Lucy had a hard time containing herself. She leant closer, excited to know more about the world she had only read in books.

_Oh._ Natsu knew that wasn't the safest question to ask him, but he really couldn't resist showing off. Igneel had always told him not to ignore a ladies request, and her large eyes were luminous even in the darkness of the night. How could he not?

Deciding that to impress is best, he shot off 6 large fireballs from his fists into the air. Lucy gasped as she stared into the darkness, watching the balls disappear into the atmosphere.

"That is so incredible."

"Yeah, I kno-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was being hoisted onto his feet.

"Teach me! Teach me!"

"What?" he asked, flabbergasted. No one had ever asked him to teach it to them. They usually shouted something at him along the lines of '_don't do that inside again or you'll never be able to use your hands again!'. _Okay, that was just Erza, but he had been too scared to do it inside the guild hall again (fights with droopy eyed Gray were the exception).

"Teach me how to do what ever it is you do!" she begged. Natsu almost laughed out loud at her excitement. She looked like a puppy shaking with excitement, probably about to wet herself. Letting his ego inflate a bit more, he decided there was no harm in trying.

"Alright. First things first! Stand like this." He demonstrated the pose, with his feet at hips width apart and his hands curled into fist beside his head. "Now, you just concentrate on the warm feeling within your body, and imagine it coming out of your fist, like this."

Natsu punched the air, causing a small flame to erupt from his fist. Lucy was still staring with that gleeful smile on her face, so he took the time to show off a bit more. He punched the air as if he was sparring an invisible opponent, and finished with a high kick. Flames escaped, causing Lucy to jump back in fright.

"You.. You can do it from all parts of your body?" She asked, obviously intrigued.

"Yeah," he smirked. "And that's not even half of it." Looking over his shoulder, Natsu double checked that no one was watching them. When he confirmed they were alone, he stared right into Lucy's eyes. He definitely wanted to see her reaction to his next move.

Flames rose from his skin all over. His legs, arms, torso and head were alight, causing the darkness to disappear from around them.

Her reaction did not disappoint. For the first few seconds she was genuinely intrigued at the hint of smoke rising from his skin. When he caught alight though, she screamed with her arms in the air, almost comically. He immediately extinguished the flames from his body and tried to calm her down.

"It's alright! I meant to do that, it's what I-"

"You were on FIRE!" she interrupted, as if he didn't know it himself. Flailing her hands to make a point, she continued. "Your entire body was on fire, and then you just _poofed_ out!"

_Poofed?_ No one had told him that he poofed before. This girl really was an exception to the rules.

Now he really wanted to know if she could do it. If she was completely different to any person he had met before, maybe she could imitate his magic.

"Aren't you gonna try?"

"Huh?" She had stopped lecturing him and was staring at her hands, as if they were going to combust if she thought hard enough.

"To produce fire! You said you wanted to do it two minutes ago, dummy."

Okay, he didn't really think she was all that dumb. He just threw that last insult in there to get a reaction. Maybe if her blood boiled she would have a better chance at doing it. Who knows.

"I am not dumb! The house staff say I am really bright for my age and I'm going to write stories and-"

Rolling his eyes at her, he took a few steps closer. She suddenly went silent as he wrapped his hands around her wrist and brought them beside her head.

"These start beside your head. When you're in a fight though, you'll want to protect your face, so just for now-"

"You mean someone could want to fight me?! That's so dangerous, I mea-"

"Can you be quiet for two seconds?!" he snapped. The blonde girls voice suddenly stopped as she took in his serious expression. "Right, so you protect yourself in a fight, but for now don't worry. Just pretend to punch me."

He let go of her hands and took a step back. With his hands on his hips, he stared her down, hoping she would interpret it for a challenge.

"You want me to punch you?" she questioned quietly, like the thought of fighting him terrified her. Obviously this girl didn't grow up with others her age. Everyone his age at the guild loved a rough house. She was probably forced to stay inside and drink tea.

"Yes. Just throw a few punches and see what happens. Remember, focus on the warmth inside you." When she continued to stare at him, he raised his fists into the air and wiggled them, as a hint to hurry up.

"Alright." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. Boy, Natsu didn't know she would take it this seriously. When he was wondering if he should say something, her heel dug into the dirt. A small shout left her throat as she thrust her fist through the air producing..

Nothing. Absolutely nothing…

Natsu bent over and burst into laughter.

"Stop it!" she demanded, stamping her feet on the ground. "It was my first go!"

Annoyed and desperately wanting to prove him wrong, Lucy flailed her fists through the air, hoping to see some signs of fire. Again, there was nothing.

The boy's laughter died down to a few chuckles, before he dared to look in her eyes. If any part of her were to spontaneously combust, it was definitely her eyes. The glare coming his ways was ferocious and probably more scary than Erza. With that, he straightened up and decided to take the safe route – the 'comfort her' route.

"Don't worry about it. I'm the only person who has ever been able to do it."

"Oh just what I need," the girl huffed. "Please, tell me how magnificent you are!"

Uh oh. The sarcasm in her voice warned Natsu that he should tread extra lightly. She was their client's daughter after all. He wouldn't want to be the reason they lost the job.

"No I mean everyone is different and everyone has a different specialty."

This seemed to lighten the girls face, as her eyes changed from murderous intent to fascinated.

"Well maybe I was meant for some other type of magic!"

"Yeah," he agreed. Heck, he'd say anything to make her feel better.

"Maybe I'm more of a holder magic type of girl" she thought aloud, looking up in the sky with her finger on her chin.

"That could be…" he continued. Crisis averted.

"Maybe I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage!" she announced, pulling a key from her pocket and holding it in the air before him.

_Wait, what?_

"A crusty what?"

"Celestial Spirit Mage, dummy." She smiled at her jab, proud that she used his own word against him. He didn't seem to notice though as he was just staring at her with a dumbfound expression on his face. She decided to further explain, and perhaps show him how smart she really was. "I read all about them in the library. They summon spirits from another dimension and they fight for you. This key is a silver key, so it's not one of the twelve zodiacs, but I bet it's something just as strong and terrifying, and-"

"Show me." He interrupted. If she was able to bring some sort of spirit forth, he wanted to see just how tough they were. Maybe they could spar so when he would grow stronger and wipe the floor with Gray next time they fought. He just needed Lucy to agree with his idea first.

"Huh?" Lucy questioned, as if the idea has never entered her mind before.

"Show me what this spirit guy is like!" Natsu encouraged.

"Oh, right!" Lucy agreed, nodding her head a few times. She didn't feel very confident as she had never been able to bring it forth before. She wasn't even sure if they even existed… But if this random rose coloured hair boy could spout fire from his body without getting third degree burns, surely she could summon spirits from another dimension!

Holding the key in front of her, Lucy waved it in the air with her command.

"Spirit of the silver key, come forth!"…

* * *

AN: I'm a butt, I know! There will be one more chapter of child Natsu and Lucy, before I turn them into angtsy teenagers! Woo! Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I was caught up in my one shot and other silly time wasting activities. Hopefully I won't take months for the next updates? Here's hoping. Thanks again for reading!


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